The present invention relates to mounting assemblies for electrical devices, and more particularly to an L-shaped mounting assembly for securing a device, such as a ceiling fan, light fixture, or similar device to an overhead beam.
The present invention expands upon the concept of the prepackaged mounting assembly that is disclosed in and shares inventorship with U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,509,524, 6,632,998, 6,646,201, and 6,677,523. The prepackaged mounting assemblies disclosed in these patents provide all the hardware needed for attaching a mounting assembly to an overhead beam, including all required fasteners to complete the installation, without the need for an outer wrap or separate packaging to hold the separate components.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,201 provided an L-shaped mounting assembly that provided a large integral internal wiring cavity and also disclosed the use of an initial fastener for use in initially securing the mounting assembly to an overhead beam. By securing with the initial fastener, the installer""s hands are advantageously freed to complete the remaining installation steps. Load bearing fasteners, which were held in temporary storage receptacles for shipment and storage, were then removed and driven into permanent receptacles and into the supporting beam to securely attach the L-shaped assembly thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,201 included an alternate embodiment of the L-shaped mounting assembly, which was to be preferred when there was no provision in the mounting assembly for apertures for receipt of the load bearing fasteners or when the manufacturer""s bracket included apertures extending beyond the side walls of the mounting assembly. This mounting assembly is installed initially with an initial mounting screw. The load bearing fasteners are then removed from their temporary storage receptacles and installed through the manufacturer""s bracket and directly into the overhead beam to secure the assembly thereto. The load bearing fasteners are thereby installed outboard of the side walls of the lower junction box of the L-shaped mounting assembly and extend directly into the overhead beam. By moving the installation point of the load bearing fasteners outboard the side walls of the lower junction box, the alternate embodiment of the L-shaped mounting assembly could be used with virtually any oversized bracket provided separately by manufacturer""s, including those for light fixtures, ceiling fans, or similar overhead electrical devices.
Although the alternate embodiment of disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,201 provided enabled the L-shaped mounting assembly to accommodate an oversize manufacturer""s bracket, it was difficult to align the bracket with the mounting assembly and the beam to which it was attached.
Accordingly, what is needed is an L-shaped mounting assembly that provides an arrangement for aligning a manufacturer""s bracket for proper installation of load bearing fasteners into the supporting bean. The mounting assembly should also provide a large cavity for wiring connections. The mounting assembly should furthermore have the advantage of providing a mounting structure that is capable of being stored, shipped, and sold as a prepackaged unit with all covers and fasteners required for installation self-contained within the unit. The mounting assembly should further have the advantage of holding the cover and fasteners securely enough to permit storage, shipping, display and handling without the need for an outer wrap or separate packaging to retain the cover and fasteners with the assembly.
According to the present invention, there is provided a mounting assembly for securing a device, such as a ceiling fan, light fixture, or similar device to an overhead beam. The mounting assembly includes an L-shaped mounting box that includes a large side wiring cavity and an integral flange portion. A cover cooperates with the integral flange portion to provide a closure for the wiring cavity and a bottom flange for mounting a manufacturer""s bracket thereon. The integral flange portion includes downward extending alignment posts to enable easy centering of the manufacturer""s bracket. The bracket typically includes slots therein and the mounting assembly includes all hardware required to complete installation of the device including the cover, an initial fastener, and load bearing fasteners, which are all temporarily secured to the L-shaped box.
At the installation site, the cover may be removed temporarily and the initial fastener used to secure the box to an overhead beam. Wiring connections are then completed in the wiring cavity and the cover reinstalled. After being reinstalled on the mounting box, the cover protects the wiring connections from application of sheet rock, spackle, and paint around the fixture. The manufacturer""s bracket is easily centered with the mounting box by slipping the bracket onto the alignment posts with the posts extending through the slots of the bracket. The load bearing fasteners are removed from their temporary storage holsters and installed through the bracket and into the overhead beam to secure the bracket to the beam.